Shirley Darnaby, from Brentwood, inspects one of the 28,551 pennies on a 1996 Geo Metro owned by Gayle Hoover, left, from Wendell, N.C. Gayle and her husband, Mike Morphy, spent two years putting the pennies on; the coins added an extra 190 pounds to the car.

Shirley Darnaby, from Brentwood, inspects one of the 28,551 pennies on a 1996 Geo Metro owned by Gayle Hoover, left, from Wendell, N.C. Gayle and her husband, Mike Morphy, spent two years putting the pennies on; the coins added an extra 190 pounds to the car. (Al Drago, Baltimore Sun photo)

The Wisconsin-style fried cheese curds are back at Artscape. You can find them at Stella Jeanne's Festival Foods booth, which is near the Lyric theater on Mount Royal Avenue but facing the Mount Royal Station stage.

Curds are a by-product of the cheese-making process. They have a consistency most people describe as squeaky. And the perfect thing to do with them -- fry them. The folks that make them are based in Philadelphia but the wife, who is expecting a child any day now, is from the Midwest, where cheese curds are huge. You can't find these treats too many places outside of Wisconsin, except at state fairs.

Artscape, one of America's largest free celebrations of the arts, is held July 19-21 at Mount Royal Avenue and Cathedral Street, Charles Street, Bolton Hill, and Station North Arts & Entertainment District. The annual festival includes live performances by national artists, visual art exhibits,...

There have been a couple of changes lately at the old Vito's Cafe, a sterling Italian restaurant in a shopping center on York Road in Cockeysville. Last summer, the family-owned establishment, which had been a BYOB, got a license to serve wine, beer and liquor. And more recently, the...

The Inner Harbor's just-opened Shake Shack outpost is garnering big headlines but it's not the only new burger joint in town. On the northern edge of the city, the talk is all about the independently owned restaurant Clark Burger.

The new Fells Point restaurant Mare Nostrum is one of the nicest surprises in years. Arriving without publicity, the restaurant serves simple and wonderfully delicious food in a serene and comfortable setting.

In recent years, Peruvian restaurants have popped up throughout the city and suburbs — think Pisco in Elkridge and the much-loved Puerto 511 near the downtown library. Grille Twelve24, which opened in Mid-Town Belvedere last fall, is one of the area's newer Peruvian spots.

During the summer of 2012, Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods" shows descended on the Baltimore region to explore the food scene — including an illuminating visit to several Korean restaurants in Baltimore and in Howard County.

Longtime fans of Iggies experienced a bit of panic last summer upon learning that the popular Mount Vernon pizza spot had been sold. Though Iggies loyalists were pleased that the restaurant wouldn't close, they were sorry to say goodbye to owners Lisa Heckman and Peter Wood.